GARY JONES can expect to be kept on centre-back duty for Tranmere Rovers, even though his new defensive role diminishes the team's potential fire power.

GARY JONES can expect to be kept on centre-back duty for Tranmere Rovers, even though his new defensive role diminishes the team's potential fire power.

Manager Brian Little sees the versatile Jones' ability to prevent Tranmere conceding goals as being currently more valuable than his knack of scoring them from midfield or attacking positions.

The powerful 28-year-old, (right), Tranmere's joint second leading scorer with seven goals this season, was moved into the rearguard after the 2-2 draw at Brentford 10 days ago.

Little says he is "absolutely delighted" with Jones' performances on the left of Tranmere's trio centre-backs in the FA Cup replay win at Bolton last Tuesday and the goalless draw with Hartlepool in Division Two last Saturday.

He added: "Gary has been a massive plus point for us in the last two games. He's played exceptionally well back there.

"Gary is a clever footballer. He's got what we call in the trade 'good feet for a big lad'. His touch is good and he's very calm. He's not the sort of person who gets flustered easily."

Jones isn't a complete stranger to the centre-back role. He played it on several occasions during his early years at Prenton Park in the mid-90s although even then the youngster was more often used as a centre forward.

Little said: "I had not asked Gary if he had played centre-back before. It's just something I saw in him, most especially when he played as an emergency centre-back n-at QPR back in October.

"On the strength of the good performances he put in last week it's a decision I would not want to change.

"Experience would tell me that you can sometimes push it a bit too far in playing people in different positions, but Gary hasn't given me any food for thought that centre-back is the wrong position for him.

"How long Gary stays there I'm not 100 per cent sure but certainly this weekend (when Tranmere play Luton in the FA Cup fourth round) would not be the time."

Little acknowledges Jones' withdrawal from more familiar forward roles will restrict his scoring potential at a time when goals are less than thick on the ground for Tranmere.

But he believes his calculation is a sensible one.

Little said: "I have always felt Gary has a goal in him from open play and by switching him to the back we've taken that away, although he'll still be a threat from set plays.

"But before last Tuesday we had conceded two goals in three games out of five.

"If you have to score three goals to win a game that becomes difficult when you are not a free-scoring team.

"As a manager I can't afford to let the opposition score two goals. I can't afford to try and win games 3-2. So I need to shore things up at the back and to remind people about how important it is to be tight and not give too much away."

Jones' move into defence was part of a reshuffle that ended Paul Linwood's run of 16 games at centre-back and cost Sean Connelly his place at right-back.

It was the nearest thing to a major shake-up Little has attempted since taking charge of first-team affairs 18 games and just three defeats ago.

Little said: "Brentford was the only game in which I was pretty disappointed with the team overall.

"It was important something was done about it at the right time and to remind players that the performance that day wasn't going to be good enough for us.

"Overall, in most games, the attitude has been pretty much spot-on since I came here. When you have an example like Brentford, you have to jump on it quickly.

"The reaction from everyone was surprise at first but you give it a week and everyone has settled back down.

"Our performances in the last two games were miles better than Brentford. I feel we have got back to what we expect from players."